BOYLSTON, Mass. – The New England PGA is ready to welcome 36 PGA HOPE Veterans and PGA Professionals as it plays host of the 2nd Annual Northeast HOPE Invitational on Friday, September 29th at Tatnuck Country Club (Worcester, Mass.).
RELATED LINKS: 2022 Photo Gallery and 2022 Recap Video
Piloted in 2022, the Northeast HOPE Invitational is a collaboration between the Connecticut Section, Northeastern New York Section, and New England Section, PGA of America. Annually, 12 representatives from each local PGA Section including graduates of PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) and host program PGA Professionals, compete in a one day, 9-hole golf tournament celebrating the spirit of the game and the power that recreational therapy can have on the mental and physical well-being of Veterans from across the Northeast.
The New England Section is proud to formally announce the 2023 team members from three local programs, coming together to compete to bring home the Cup:
HOPE – Hyannis, Captained by David Donnellan, PGA and joined by PGA HOPE Veterans, Jason Mahoney (USMC 5yrs.), Blake Crist (USMC 4yrs.), Ryne Pulliam (US Coast Guard 7yrs.)
HOPE – Lincoln, Captained by Jason Howard, PGA and joined by PGA HOPE Veterans, Teddy Beahm (USMC 4yrs.), Carlos Barbeiro (US Army 27yrs.), Chris Vo (USMC 4yrs.)
HOPE – Portland, Captained by Matthew Murphy, PGA and joined by PGA HOPE Veterans, Collenn Nevius (US Navy 26yrs.), Stephen Grispi (US Navy 4yrs.), Lloyd Hendrix (US Navy 10yrs.)
“As one of the first PGA HOPE programs in the Section, we were honored to receive the invitation to compete this year,” said Jason Howard, Head Golf Professional and lead HOPE Professional at Kirkbrae Country Club. “Seeing firsthand the impact this program has, and now playing together with some of my students is just incredible”.
This collaboration between three PGA Sections is the first of its kind in the country and each local Section plays host to the event annually. Last year’s inaugural event was hosted by the Springfield Country Club, part of the Connecticut Section, and the 2024 event will be hosted by the Northeastern New York Section in the Greater Albany area.
“Each Section is proud to host so many programs and initiatives every year within their borders, but to be able to get together once a year with our neighbors and friends from Connecticut and New England is pretty special” said Tracie Warner, Executive Director of the Northeastern New York Section. “Our PGA Professionals and Veterans were so excited to take home the Cup last year and we’re ready to defend!”
The Northeast HOPE Invitational is a 9-hole scramble event with PGA Professionals and HOPE Veterans playing together to card the lowest score possible. The three teams from each Section combine their 9-hole score and the lowest team total takes home the Cup. Last year, the Northeastern New York Section’s (-6) overall score allowed them to capture the trophy.
The Professional Golfers’ Association of America is an Association of golf professionals that was founded in 1916. Consisting of nearly 28,000 members, the PGA of America’s undertaking is to establish and elevate the standards of the profession and to grow interest and participation in the game of golf.
PGA Sections or Local Offices, oversee programs and initiatives committed to PGA Professionals across the United States in (41) areas. These offices help create the network of communication and community for the 25 million amateur golfers and 28,000 PGA Members throughout the country.
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PGA HOPE
PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) is the flagship military program of PGA REACH, the charitable foundation of the PGA of America. PGA HOPE introduces golf to Veterans and Active Duty Military to enhance their physical, mental, social and emotional well-being.
The program introduces the game through a developmental 6-8 week curriculum, led by PGA Professionals trained in adaptive golf and military cultural competency. All programs are funded by PGA REACH and supplemented by PGA Section Foundations, so the cost of programming is free to all Veterans.
PGA HOPE has a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which enables direct referrals to the PGA HOPE program as a form of therapy.
PGA REACH New England has and will continually work to promote the game and improve the lives of thousands of children, veterans, and their families, as well as diverse populations through the creation and utilization of golf programming that supports education, health and wellness, and personal development.
Tatnuck Country Club
Founded in 1898, Tatnuck was one of the first 100 golf clubs established in the United States. The course features the beauty and challenge of a 9-hole Donald Ross designed course and the short layout (3,034 yards from the back tees) rewards good shots and provides for an enjoyable golf outing for all levels.
Tatnuck is proud to be a premier country club experience for the greater Worcester area. A year-round club with many fall and winter activities, the “Tatnuck Experience” is a welcoming community open to all.